Saints were there for the taking - they were strangely average today. Quins didn't want it, typified by Lewis bizarrely kicking the ball into touch when we were making some good ground and another try would have taken us level and given us the TBP.

From following this thread I would say we weren't that bad with the team we could put out against the league leaders. Didn't get much from the ref as usual by the sound of it. Exeter were awarded a penalty try for a deliberate knock on unlike us. Was Wardy's try from the maul really held up or was it a TMO decision. It seems harsh to get nothing from that game or did we not deserve a LBP those that saw the game.

Mayor WestFrom following this thread I would say we weren't that bad with the team we could put out against the league leaders. Didn't get much from the ref as usual by the sound of it. Exeter were awarded a penalty try for a deliberate knock on unlike us. Was Wardy's try from the maul really held up or was it a TMO decision. It seems harsh to get nothing from that game or did we not deserve a LBP those that saw the game.

They are league leaders now because we have them a bonus point win. If we'd scored a try rather than giving away pen after pen we'd be level with them.

We didn't deserve a bonus point because we didn't stay within 7. George merrick should be taken outside and shot.

I guess it's because it's easy enough when you have a remote view of it and not when you're in the game itself and having to deal with all the physical exertion, exhaustion, the pace, the various factors you have to take into account - which is what separates the good players from the average.

Consistent ability to lose yet again and we're already 7 points adrift of fourth place.
Another disaster of a season is starting to take shape.
More hurt to carry to the next game - in fact, I've heard the hurt has its own locker now
RleQ

I have to say sir was abysmal today, bad referees make bad decisions for both sides not just one way, Merrick definitely touched down for a try only to be given as a knock on, no referral, yet any doubtful incident concerning the home side was immediately referred

I got the feeling JK gave up on the game. Bringing DC off and putting Sweil in at 10 was disruptive. It must rock the confidence of the team when Sweil cleared the ball from our 22 and didn't find touch, they came right back at us and took the points. Charlie Mathews looks lost and confused much of the time and compare that to Saints second row. We will win nothing without solid players in these key roles.

Quins brixton branchI Did anyone think we were going to win at the gardens, not me........

Not before the game, but a one point during the second half I thought that we were going to take it. Basically, when Yarde made the break. I did also think that the tackle on him was high.
Ward had some issues, but hats off to the bloke for staying on the pitch and scoring a try.

Quins brixton branchI didn't see the game, but it sounds like we competed very well and deserved a bonus point

Saint in peace... To be honest I thought the narrow win Saints got in the final game last year felt closer and today's score flattered Quins a bit. Saints were dominant in the first half - a wild intercepted pass gifted one try, and going completely to sleep with the clock running out saw Roberts over, both largely against the run if play.

The second half was scrappy on Saints side (at least 3 lineout throws going long to nobody and getting turned over, some bad kicking including a penalty missing touch). The game could have turned your way at 22 - 27 but silly errors and indiscipline let Saints off the hook & we had a strong bench to see it out

Listening to Brian Moore's podcast, Nigel Owens was on and said the refs are at a meeting / training thing in France this week, and have told they need to clamp down on players taking advantage of the new laws by not releasing the ball when tackles.

As some have said in this thread, as the tacklers have to be so careful not to get penalised for not rolling away, not releasing tackled player, etc, it seems that the attacking players are getting away with claimi9ng they were never fully tackled / not held, and so getting up and carrying on. Owens was saying this has been something of an unintended consequence and refs will need to be hot on it and make sure that where a player has been tackled , he can't just get up and carry on and take advantage of the tackler being wary of being penalised.

I'd have thought it is going to be something where we see a fair amount of inconsistency or 50/50 calls, unless I've misunderstood Owens or the laws

T-BoneWatched the highlights now. Obviously doesn't give the full picture, but thought Morris showed great pace to score, and was a good finish by Roberts.
I don't understand how their player wasn't penalised for holding on in the build up to Hayter's try.

Disappointing defence from Yarde for one of their tries after Smith got back and made the tackle and Yarde just flopped over so he could get up and score.

Brain dead from Merrick at the end.

You can hear the ref say to Danny that he released the ball, got up and picked it up again. You can't actually see that as the view of the ball is blocked.

T-BoneWatched the highlights now. Obviously doesn't give the full picture, but thought Morris showed great pace to score, and was a good finish by Roberts.
I don't understand how their player wasn't penalised for holding on in the build up to Hayter's try.

Disappointing defence from Yarde for one of their tries after Smith got back and made the tackle and Yarde just flopped over so he could get up and score.

Brain dead from Merrick at the end.

You can hear the ref say to Danny that he released the ball, got up and picked it up again. You can't actually see that as the view of the ball is blocked.

If that's the try that I'm thinking of, the replay looked like he hadn't released it. The ball is held in one hand, with the hand under the ball both before and after it was supposedly released. All from memory so I may be mistaken.

i think that for the try, he did actually release the ball and then pick it up again. On RugbyPass, during half time, they show all tries from every available angle (which is quite a nice feature). On one of the angles it looked as though the ball being released.
However, there seemed to be a lot of times when this happened. (I don't know if these instances were legal or not as there was no replay). But, if this is a tactic that works, then we need to react to it and :
a. learn to do it ourselves.
b. learn to back up the tackler so that we negate the benefit that other teams get from it.

Just for clarification, Owens and Moore weren't talking about any one try or game in particular, just a general comment that this seems to have become a bit of a talking point. I know on this thread people commented on it on a few occasions, not just the try

Definitely, absolutely did not release the ball, as the ref claimed. Perhaps it should have been reviewed...

As I said at the time, the TMO should be sacked for incompetence. Unless I have it wrong and they're not allowed to bring things to the refs' attention. It was bad enough for Pearce to have made it up, but I suppose refs do make things up when they are a little unsighted.

Definitely, absolutely did not release the ball, as the ref claimed. Perhaps it should have been reviewed...

As I said at the time, the TMO should be sacked for incompetence. Unless I have it wrong and they're not allowed to bring things to the refs' attention. It was bad enough for Pearce to have made it up, but I suppose refs do make things up when they are a little unsighted.

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